commander
noun
com·mand·er
kə-ˈman-dər 
1
: one in an official position of command or control: such as
b
: the presiding officer of a society or organization
2
: a commissioned officer in the navy or coast guard ranking above a lieutenant commander and below a captain
Examples of commander in a Sentence
a surrender of the fort by the commander without a single shot having been fired
the intrepid commander of the HMS Surprise
Recent Examples on the Web
Days later, Trump, much to the surprise of even his own advisers, responded by assassinating Iran’s top military commander, Qassem Soleimani, in Iraq.
—
Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
The Coast Guard’s Sector Boston commander, Jamie Frederick, said frigid temperatures and stormy conditions made finding survivors at night difficult, a task made more challenging with a nor’easter approaching the East Coast this weekend.
—Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Mike Pintacura, one of the former guard commanders who spoke to the Sentinel for last week’s story, said this week that lawmakers in the Florida House were seeking answers.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
These systems, often powered by AI, share data in real-time to make collective decisions based on a human commander’s intent, acting as a force multiplier in contested or dangerous environments.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commander
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Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
The Coast Guard’s Sector Boston commander, Jamie Frederick, said frigid temperatures and stormy conditions made finding survivors at night difficult, a task made more challenging with a nor’easter approaching the East Coast this weekend.
—Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Mike Pintacura, one of the former guard commanders who spoke to the Sentinel for last week’s story, said this week that lawmakers in the Florida House were seeking answers.
—Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
These systems, often powered by AI, share data in real-time to make collective decisions based on a human commander’s intent, acting as a force multiplier in contested or dangerous environments.
—Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commander
Cite this Entry
“Commander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commander. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
commander
noun
com·mand·er
kə-ˈman-dər
1
: one in official command especially of a military force or base
2
: a naval commissioned officer with a rank just below that of captain
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